


A Summer No One Asked For

by Lyn_ology



Category: To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Genre: To Kill a Mockingbird References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-23 20:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21087098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyn_ology/pseuds/Lyn_ology
Summary: Remember when Dill Harris ran away to the Finch household and told Jem and Scout this tall-tale of the crazy summer he had... But... What if everything he told the Finches actually happened? Basically: Dill's POV on his summer at home with his parents.





	A Summer No One Asked For

**Author's Note:**

> Just want to let all of you know that this was my first attempt at writing with a southern accent/dialect, and there are probably many moments when I am not consistent with the dialect. Please enjoy!!!

The distant clatter of dishes on dishes in the other room was drivin’ me crazy. My stomach growled, I’d hadn’t ate a decent meal since I left Meridian this mornin’.  _ I should’a asked the conductor if he’d lend me a quarter for dinner,  _ I thought bitterly,  _ except my father wouldn’ be able to pay it back later.  _ I was gettin’ mighty angry with myself,  _ why’d I got to go up and use all that money for that train ticket. Actually,  _ I questioned myself _ why’d I have to go and run away from home _ ? Not that I could do much about it now, I was already under Jean Louise Finch’s bed.

_ This is all mother and father’s fault if they’d hadn’t been pushin’ me away and ignorin’ me, I’d be in my own bed and not hidin’ under… CLINK!  _ A noise from the other room startled me from my thoughts, I shifted under the bed tryin’ to get more comfortable to be able to listen better. I could hear Jem and Scout’s Aunt Alexandra arguin’ about… somethin’. I tried to hear what they were talkin’ ‘bout, but their voices were too quiet to make out, so I decided to continue with my own thoughts.

_ I wonder if they noticed that I’m gone yet _ …  _ Probably not,  _ I thought as I shook my head. They’d never been interested in me, not then and not now. Early this summer, I thought that it was gonna be the best summer ever, aside from the fact that Jem and Scout wouldn’ be there. As I recalled my summer vacation, I realized I was dead wron’.

* * *

“Charles Baker Harris, I love you, but if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a millio’ times. We’d just got you that book, now go read it and leave us alone ‘while,” my mother scolded me as she pushed me toward the doorway. I tried to resist, but unfortunately she shut the door in my face before I could stop ‘er.  _ Like I care, she’s more of a witch than Aunt Rachel is,  _ I thought to myself as I shuffled toward my room.

I slowly opened my door, pausin’ only for a moment to think, _ I don’t understand adults at all, one minute they’ll be all nice and then the next they’ll turn all nasty on ya….  _ I glance back at the sittin’ room door for only a moment then swun’ my door open the rest of the way and shut it with a loud ban’.  _ Of course my parents can’t make up their own minds ‘ither. _

For weeks, my parents disinterest in me continued, but I quickly found other ways to entertain myself. “Charles, why don't you go play in the backyard for a bit and leave the adults to themselves,” my mother said in a delicate voice as she gently shoved me toward the screen door. I groaned internally, why couldn’t she see that I didn’t want too.

“But mother I…” Of course my opinion didn’t matter. After she hustled me out the door and kissed the top of my head, she locked it behind her. As she walked away it seemed as if she was just lettin’ the cat out for the night instead of her nine-year-old boy. I shook my head,  _ Don’t you think like that Dill, they’re just... busy.  _ I explained, not sure who I was tryin’ to convince.

“Yeh’re Ms. Harris boy right?” A voice called out from behind me.  _ What!  _ I spun on my heel of my foot, slightly losin’ my balance. As I regained my footin’, I looked up to see an elderly man, his hair was of a darker shade with white streaks. The strange man, who was dressed in canvas overalls that were covered with dust, stuck out his hand for me to shake which I politely applied to. “The name’ Clinton Feorm. From whut I prusume, ye most be Mr. Charles Baker Harris yus?” he inquired with a smile.

“Umm... Yes’ir, but folks call me Dill,” I informed him.  _ How does he know who I am?  _ “Does my mother talk ‘bout me?” I asked, causin’ Mr. Feorm to chuckle.  _ Is he laughin’ at me? _

“Well, Mr. Dill, ye see yeh’ve because quete a threll in the neihburhood. It’ not everydey we get a new face aroun’ here. An’ yeh’re mothur mentione’ that yeh’d be comin’.” he explained.  _ What!? They are excited to meet me?  _ Mr. Feorm inspected me with a twinkle in his eye. “Yeh didn’t know did ye?” I jerked my head side to side,  _ How could I, my mother hardly lets me stay in the same room as her, none the less talk to her.  _ “Well it’ a pleusure meetin’ ye Mr. Dill, but I’ve got to get back to me house.” He said noddin’ his head at me turnin’ away from me. He hadn’t even took a step when he turned back towards me and told me, “If yeh’d like, ye could alway’ help an old man out.”

“Really?” I asked, to which his only response was a bob of his head. This was the birth of our friendship and my pass time. Everyday I’d go over to Mr. Feorm’s house. It was a house that one couldn’t simply skip over with their eyes. The shingles on the roof were in shambles alon’ with the gray sidin’ of the house. It sort of reminded me of the Radley house, except Mr. Feorm was the exact opposite of Mr. Nathan Radley.

I started doin’ odd jobs for him; changin’ light bulbs, sweepin’ his porch, carryin’ boxes, stuff he couldn't do no more because of his old age. There were also times that we just talked about ourselves. In his younger days he’d been a respectable farmer, but he permanently damaged his back in an accident and had to sell the farm. Although, he still grew field peas in his back garden. “I’ve alway’ luved me some raw peas.” he told me after I asked.

In exchange for his life stories, I told him about Jem and Scout and Boo Radley, and he actually listened. I had tried to tell my parents of Boo, but they wouldn’t listen, my father would always say, “It’s very disrespectful of you to be botherin’ Mr. Radley like that, you don’t know anythin’ about him and you shouldn’t make any assumptions about ‘em.” Mr. Feorm was like a haven from the cage I called home. Well, it was more like my shackles were released a bit, I wasn’t bein’ restricted with Mr. Feorm like I was with my parents. Though, I started to hold my tongue more to ensure I didn’t say nothin’ wron’. But, of course, I still did.

It happened in mid July, I had gone to Mr. Feorm’s earlier that day. I came home right in time for dinner. My mother greeted with a kiss on the cheek and asked me how my time at Mr. Feorm’s was to which I responded with an overly exaggerated explanation of how the field peas almost poisoned me beyond resuscitation.  _ Honestly, _ I thought, _ those peas have had it out for me since the moment I stepped into that garden.  _ I helped my mother with settin’ the table as my father walked into the dinin’ room with a scowl on his face.

“Is everythin’ alright dear?” my mother asked him, worry takin’ over her expression.

“Yes, just a lon’ day. I just had to help Mr. Lundheim with fixin’ a leak in his boat. The man is just stubborn as hell,” he groaned. This caught my attention.  _ Did he say boat? That reminds me that we never made that boat he’d promised we’d build. _

“Bless his heart, that man will never learn will ‘e,” my mother berated.

“You helped Mr. Lundheim fix his boat?” I asked. My father nodded. “Well when are you gonna build that boat with me?”  _ Please, please say we’ll build it now. _

“Son, I haven’t got the time to build a boat with ya. It might be later in the year before I actually get around to doin’ it,” he told me straight.

“But what about the time you just sit around and read? We could easily build the boat then, right?” I insisted,  _ PLEASE! _

My father brought his hand up to rub his temple, lettin’ my plea settle in the air. “That’s my time to relax son, I need time to cool off after work and I like to spend it readin’.”

“BUT YOU PROMISED!! If we build the boat later this year then we won’t get to go on the water til next year!” I yelled with all my might

Suddenly, my father slammed his fist against the table causin’ the silverware to clatter against the table. “Not everythin’ revolves around you, sometimes you gotta think about other people. We buy you everythin’ you want; books, toys, games, but there’s always somethin’ else you need, think about what we need for once,” he said in a soft, but sinister voice.  _ I just want y’all to be interested in me, to not push me away. I don’t want this. _

The rest of dinner was silent, as soon as I finished I ran up to my room and got in bed. I while later my mother came up wishin’ me goodnight and kissed my forehead. As she left I noticed she walked with her shoulders hunched over as though she were carryin’ a great weight. This is when I decided to run away.  _ I’m only a burden to ‘em, they said it themselves I might as well leave first thing in the mornin’. _

When mornin’ came my mother wished me good mornin’ as I sat down at the table, my father had only just left.  _ If I’m gonna run away I’ll need some money, _ I thought as I noticed mother’s pocketbook on the chair. Makin’ sure my mother was distracted I withdrew thirteen dollars and slid it into my pocket without her seein’ a thin’.

After breakfast, I told my mother I was gonna be gone for a while, she gave me and hu’ and kiss while tellin’ me to be careful. I debated on tellin’ Mr. Feorm where I was goin’ but decided against it because I thought he’d try to stop me. It was a ten minute walk to get to the train station, but then I realized somethin’.  _ Where am I goin’ to go. I hadn’t planned that far ahead.  _ Suddenly, an image of two children popped into my head and I smiled.  _ Of course. _

* * *

“Jee crawling hova, Jem! Who do you think you are?” A loud voice shouted, startlin’ me from my previous thoughts.  _ Is that Scout? _

“Now I mean it, Scout, you antagonize Aunty and I’ll- I’ll spank you.” A voice I presumed was Jem’s replied.  _ What is goin’ on? A fight? _

“You damn morphodite, I’ll kill you!” Scout screamed, suddenly I heard the contact of skin on skin, I dared to look out from under the bed to see what was happenin’ better. Suddenly, Jem hit Scout which sent her sprawlin’ to the ground gaspin’ for air. I knew that if I came out from under the bed Scout and I could beat ‘em.  _ But what if Atticus comes, he’ll send me straight home if he sees me. _ I decided not to do anythin’, knowin’ Atticus would come to sort them out in a minute, and I was right. Not even a moment later Atticus separated both of them, and then sent them both to bed. And then Scout stepped on me.

I didn’t know what to do,  _ should I come out? What if Atticus comes back?  _ Of course, I didn’t have much of a choice after Jem hit me with the broom and I grunted in pain. “Do snakes grunt?” Scout asked.

“It ain’t a snake,” Jem said. “It’s a somebody.” I stuck my head out from under the bed barely dodgin’ the swipe Jem take at me with the broom. “God Almighty.” I wiggled the rest of

my body out from under the bed and stretched my body to restore blood circulation. I glanced from Jem to Scout then smiled and rubbed the back of my head.

“Hey.”  _ I’m home. _

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I can't believe you got all the way to the end! I'm so happy! Anyways, I wrote this in my sophomore year of high school (I'm in college now lol), and I remember that I was really proud of it at the time. I looked through it recently, and made a couple revisions... but there might still be typos and grammar errors. This was technically the first fanfiction I've ever written. I doubt anyone will read this but like... if someone did, I hope you enjoyed it? Please leave a comment; I'd love to hear your feedback!!


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